Means for controlling the recoil of guns



PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

s. N. MUCLBAN. MEANS FOR coNTNoL'LING THE REGOIL 0F GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1901.

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UNITED STATES atented .Tauary 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RECOIL OF GUNS.

SPECIIEICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 749,215, dated January12, 1904. Applicationiled February 21, 1901. Serial No. 48,352. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it muy concern,.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. MCCLEAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahogaand State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controllingthe Recoil Vof Guns, of which the following is a description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon.

My invention relates to means for utilizing the force of the dischargeto control the recoil of guns or cannon, Vincluding field-guns,Inachine-guns, quick'- ring ordnance, and the primary and secondarybatteries of forts and ships.

Most specifically stated, my invention relates to devices by which thegases of discharge are caused to supply an elastic medium by which therecoil ofthe gun is so counteracted or balanced and controlled that theshock of recoil will be takenv up andthe least possible rearwardmovement of the gun be permitted, any such movement being checked andthe gun restored to its original position without undue strain upon thegun-mount.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View, partly in elevationand partly in longitudinal section, showing' a fieldpgun embodying myinvention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views showing modifications.

In the drawings, 1 is the gun and is shown as an ordinary form ofbuilt-up'eld-cannon. It is mounted on an ordinary form of Eeldcarriage,having a tailpiece or trail 2 and the usual type of wheel-mount. rlhegun is provided at its forward part with a gas-chamber 3, secured toitsmuzzle, preferably by screwthreads, as shown. This chamber isprovided with a central forward opening 4 in line with the bore of thebarrel to permit the passage of the projectile.

At a point preferably about midway of its length a band 5 is secured tothe gun, carrying a downwardly-projecting arm 6, to which a hollowpiston-rod 7 is secured. At the rearward end of the piston-rod withinthe recoilcylinder 8 is the piston 9. The recoil-cylinder 8 is closed atits rear'end and is provided with a downward extension 10, carried bythe 1 is carried by the recoil-cylinder and is free' to move thereon.

Through the hollow piston-rod 7 extends a horizontal tube 14, connectedby means of a coupling 15 with a tube 16, leading from the gas-chamber3. The rear end of the tube 14 opens into the recoil-cylinder in rear ofthe piston 9.

In this construction when the gun is fired the gasesof discharge willact upon the front end of the gas-chamber to overcome to a large extentthe force of the recoil. A portion of the gases of discharge will passinto the recoil-cylinder in rear of the piston 9 and exert a forwardpressure on the piston and through the piston rod and band 5 willyieldingly check the rearward movement of the gun. The gun will thus bepractically locked against movement, theaction of the gases beingprolonged by reason of the fact that before they can escape they musttravel forward through the tube into the gas-chamber, where whateverforce they may still retain will act in a forward direction on thegas-chamber.

If desired, the tube 14 may be provided with a check-valve to preventthe return of the gas from the recoil-cylinder 8, in which case therecoil-cylinder should be provided with a relief-valve.

In Fig. 2 I have shown amodiiication in which the hollow piston-rod 7 isdispensed with, the piston being carried by the tube 14, the tube beingsecured in the extension 6 of the band 5.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a further modification. In the construction shownin this ligure the gas-chamber 3 is arranged to have a limitedlongitudinal movement on the end ofthe gun, the front end of the gunhaving a cylindrical or non-tapering portion 17 to carry the chamber andpermit its movement and being provided vwith a retaining-flange 18,which is screwed or otherwise retained on the end of the gun. Thegas-chamber 8 in this form of my device is also provided at its rear endwith a'downward extension 19, through which the tube 14 passes and inwhich it is IOO preferably secured by screw -threading or otherwise. Thetube 14 is prolonged to the rear of the piston 9 and carries at its enda solid piston 20. At points between the piston 20 and the piston 9 thetube 14 is provided with openings 2l for the escape of the gases ofdischarge. In this form of my device on the gun being fired the gases ofdischarge will first act to drive the gas-chamber forward, giving to itand to the piston 20,through the tube 14,a certain momentum. A portionof the gases will instantly be discharged through the openings 21 in thetube 14 into the recoilchamber 8 between the piston 20 and the piston 9,counteracting the forward movement of the gas-chamber 3, and at the sametime, by acting against the piston 7, counteracting the rearward recoilof the gun. The forward momentum thus imparted to the gas-chamber andthe piston 2O will be yieldingly opposed to the rearward movement of themass of the gun. The gas-chamber is necessarily of much less mass thanthe gun itself, but by reason of this less mass will be more quicklystarted and will be given forward movement to a substantial extentbefore the gun, which is of greater mass, and therefore less quicklymoved, begins its rearward movement. Before the gun moves rearwardly anappreciable distance the gases of discharge will enter the chamber 8between the pistons 2O and 7 and will form ayielding cushion by whichthe recoil will be counteracted and a balance between the movement ofthe gaschamber and the gun will be secured, with the result that the gunwill not move rearwardly any appreciable distance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desireto secure byLetters Patent, is

l. The combination with the carriage, barrel movable on the carriage,the recoil-cylinder and piston of a gun, the cylinder or piston attachedto the carriage, of a channel connecting the bore of the gun and saidcylinder to permit the flow of gases from the gun into said cylinder toreduce recoil and return the gun to battery on the carriage.

2. The combination of a gun-mount, a gun movable thereon, a devicesecured to the mount, a device secured to the gun, means inclosing thespace between the two devices and means for introducing a portion of thegases of discharge into said space between the two devices.

3. The combination of a gun-mount, a gun movable thereon, a gas-chambermovable on the gun, a recoil-cylinder secured to the mount, a pistonsecured to the gun and movable with in the cylinder, a second pistonsecured to the gas-chamber and movable within the cylinder, and meansfor introducing a portion of the gases of discharge into the cylinderbetween the two pistons.

4. The combination of a gun-mount, a gun movable thereon, arecoil-cylinder secured to the mount, a piston secured to the gun andmovable within the cylinder, a second piston movable within thecylinder, means of less mass than the gun actuated by the gases ofdischarge for eifecting a movement of said second piston in advance ofthe rearward movement of the gun, and means for introducing a portion ofthe gases of discharge into the cylinder between the two pistons.

In testimony whereof I afiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL N. MCCLEAN.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. BLAoKIsToNE, Gmo. C. EVANS.

